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AudienceView Documentation

AudienceView Glossary

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The following table defines and describes various terms commonly used throughout AudienceView and the product documentation.

Term Definition
Access Control An AudienceView Module that is used to track admission ticket use. See also Ticket Marking.
Access Code A code that enables external use of promo codes.
Access Mode
  • Private: Gives the user the ability to have saved reports and BI queries to be seen and managed solely by the user.
  • Readable: Usable and by others without giving others the ability to re-save the already saved query.
  • Public: The ability to use and save by all users.
Account Refers to both the collection of a customer’s data and to the ability to store funds in the customer account to make future purchases with.
Account Type Type of customer account defined (personal or organization) when created. Different fields of information are provided depending on the account type selected.
Admission A place in a venue (general admission or reserved seating), regardless of whether it is sold, paid, on hold or open.
Also sometimes referred to as a seat (e.g. adding a seat to an order) or a ticket.
Allocated Money that has been for a specific purpose. For more information, refer to Payment Allocations.
Aggregate A function in BI (Business Intelligence) that will perform a mathematical function on items that can appear multiple times within a single entity. For example, an order can have multiple admissions. Aggregates allow you to perform counts of the number of admissions in an Order BI, or sums or averages of admissions across customers in the Customer BI.
Appeal The lowest-level component of a fundraising effort; usually named for the customers being targeted. When creating gifts, ticket sellers must select the appropriate appeal. Used to track incoming donations. See also Program and Campaign.
Application A software program (e.g. AudienceView).
Application Programming Interface (API) A particular set of rules, specifications and functions that a software program must follow to access and make use of the services and resources provided by other forms of a particular software that also utilize APIs. An API serves as an interface between different software programs and facilitates their interaction. It is what software programmers use to instruct a program on what to do, and how exactly it will run and process incoming information.
Article Editor/Builder Used to build articles that will appear on websites.
Attribute A means of customizing the user interface for a specific user or group of users.
Availability Number of seats available.
Batch ID Number used to identify a group of scheduled payments processed. At the same time, by the scheduled payments processor.
Batch Printing Printing tickets from multiple orders at the same time.
Batch Unprint A function that allows a user to cancel a batch of tickets en mass that were printed erroneously.
Benefit A reward assigned to a user for collecting points by making donations to an appeal(s). Can be a physical item (e.g. T-shirt) or a financial value (e.g. 10% off all purchases).
Best Available In a best available sale, the program selects the seats automatically.
Best Available Level Defines the order in which seats are filled during a best available seat search. Is applied to seats to determine their fill zone. For example: Best available level 1 = fill zone 1
Best Available Search Search in which AudienceView automatically returns the best seats available given the search parameters (e.g. performance date, price zone).
BI Report This stands for Business Intelligence Report. AudienceView Business Intelligence enables you to create queries to extract data specific to your needs from your database relating to customers, orders, admissions, notes and more.
Browser A program used to access the Internet (e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer).
Bundle A specific group of items that are priced together as a package. Can contain admissions and gift certificates. See also Fixed Bundle and Flexible Bundle.
Bundle Element A component of a bundle.
Bundle Request Used to record a customer’s request for a particular bundle, should it become available in the future.
Business Objects A piece of functionality within AudienceView designed for a particular purpose. For example, the “customer” business object provides all the functionary used to create, update or delete customer data from AudienceView.
Cache A cache stores recently used information in a place where it can be accessed extremely fast. For example, a web browser (i.e Internet Explorer) uses a cache to sore the pages, images and URLs of recently visited websites on your hard drive. When you visit the website again, your browser does not have to download the pages and images again and therefore, the website is displayed immediately.
Calendar (a) A view that places all performances in a calendar format by month so that the user is clearly able to see what performances are being performed on a particular day
(b) A means to regulate what series or performances are on sale or viewable to particular roles.
Campaign The mid-level component of a fundraising effort; usually named for a method of targeting customers. Used to track incoming gifts. See Program and Appeal.
Card Swiper Device used to read credit card data directly into the application.
Charge A fee for a service.
Chargeback The process of reversing a credit card charge.
Commission A commission is a charge in addition to the ticket price. You can apply commissions based on each ticket or based on the entire transaction.
Comp Short for complimentary. A zero dollar value item, typically an admission.
Contact A person associated with a customer record; can be attached to an order.
Context ID Used to define how a specific component is being used or its relationship to other parts within the system.
Contiguous Refers to items that are adjacent (i.e. next to each other in a group).
Contiguous Option Selection When a group of options are selected and highlighted by holding SHIFT and clicking the first and last option within a list.
Control File The layout file directly related to and used in conjunction with the schedule data loader. It determines the data structure that will be used to feed the content of the data files into the application.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) These are style sheets which contain a multitude of different style definitions to aid in customizing the appearance of AudienceView Online. They are used to describe presentation of document markup. They are responsible for providing the visual style for HTML that is used on a web page.
Customer Person who purchases goods or services.
Customer Account The complete collection of a customer’s data. See Account.
Customer Class A means to further categorize customers into groupings. By placing a customer into a particular class, the number of admissions they are allowed across all owned orders can be regulated in the Venue Configuration application Series|Limit or Performance|Limit pages.
Customer Owner A field used to specify the owner of the account within an organization. This field is used by the customer BI.
Customer User A customer who makes purchases through AudienceView Online.
Decrypt The method of descrambling information from a previous encryption. Decryption requires the knowledge of a secret key. For more information, refer to the secret key definition on page 8.
Default The normal value of a field, prior to being modified by a user.
Default Receipt Contact The contact attached to a gift, who will receive any tax receipts and accompanying thank you letters that are issued automatically by the system administrator.
Delivery Method The means of delivery used to get tickets to the customer (e.g. mail, hold for pickup).
Donation See Gift
Donation Number A number assigned by AudienceView for a saved donation.
Donor Contact The contact that is attached to a gift, as having made the gift. May or may not be the same person as the default receipt contact. Can be set up to receive a thank you letter for the gift.
Dropdown List A set of choices, accessed by clicking on the down arrow to the right of the box.
Dynamic Value A value created by adding two or more elements together for placement on a ticket template. For example, adding a first and last name together, which are individual elements, into a single element defined as a full name. Rules and conditions can be placed on the value as well.
Encrypt The method of scrambling information to secure it against onlookers. Encryption is used with a secret key (page 8) that is known only by the sender and receiver of the sensitive information.
Extended Attributes Marketing data fields used at the contact level.
Field An area for text or numerical data entry. Can be a blank line for text or a list from which you make one or more selections.
Fill Zone See Best Available Level.
Filter When applied to a subsystem for which a user has permission, a filter can restrict which records a user can search for and open.
Fixed Bundle A bundle in which the total number of admissions allowed equals the number of available performances.
Flexible Bundle A bundle in which the number of available performances exceeds the total number of admissions allowed.
Fund Funds are a means of tracking how your donors wish their gifts to be used (e.g. theatre renovation, costumes, administration, student internships).
Gateway A node on a network that serves as an entrance to another network. The gateway is the computer that routes the traffic from a workstation to an outside network that is serving the Web pages.
General Admission (GA) Ticket holders are not assigned a specific seat, though they may be assigned to a particular section or row. The venue may have seats or it might be standing room only.
Gift A monetary contribution/donation made by a customer to the organization (generally non-profit). This term has replaced/is interchangable with donation.
Gift Certificate A ticket with a certain value that can be redeemed toward future purchases.
GL Code This stands for the General Ledger Code, and this is the assigned code number given to each company, so that they can keep track of their expenses for auditing and accounting purposes. Specifically, GL Codes are used to allocate costs on order releases, shipments, and payment invoices.
Greeting Name An automatically generated field that combines title first Name and Last Name. Found on the Customer: Advanced page. Typically used as the first line on correspondence being sent to a client.
Group Sales Selling tickets to groups, companies, organizations - usually at a discount.
GUID Short for Globally Unique Identifier, a unique 128-bit number that is produced by the Windows OS or by some Windows applications to identify a particular component, application, file, database entry, and/or user. For instance, a website may generate a GUID and assign it to a user's browser to record and track the session. A GUID is also used in a Windows registry to identify COM DLLs. Knowing where to look in the registry and having the correct GUID yields a lot information about a COM object (e.g. information in the type library, its physical location). Windows also identifies user accounts by a use name (computer/domain and username) and assigns it a GUID. Some database administrators use GUIDs as primary key values in databases.
Hold Defines a seat or set of seats that can only be accessed by roles that have permission, generally for the purpose of selling them to customers who meet specific criteria (e.g. Performer Holds, Accessible Seating).
Individual Option Selections When individual options are selected within a group by holding down CTRL while clicking on the individual options within the list.
Integer A number with no decimal (e.g. 3, -5)
Invoice An invoice is a request for payment for goods or services rendered. An invoice is used when tickets or miscellaneous items will be paid for at a later date.
JPG/JPEG An image file type (named after the Joint Photographic Experts Group) most often recommended for use as a venue background image.
Keeper Customer The number owned by a customer that will be kept as the result of a merge. That is, merging customer number 3 into customer number 5 makes customer number 5 the keeper customer.
Legacy Account Number Typically used to store a unique identify or account number from a customer’s legacy ticket system. Can be used to search for customers.
Legend A key that contains all the configurable items that are available for use in venues (e.g. price zones, price types), along with their values and the colours or letters that represent them on seat maps.
Map Sale Using the virtual venue map to select specific seats for a specific performance(s).
Marketing Data Fields Additional fields available at the customer, order, donation, and contact level that allow the user to store more information describing that particular entity.
Marking See Ticket Marking.
Mailhost An email server.
Masking Process of hiding some or all of the digits in a credit or debit card number on receipts and in the order payment record.
Match All Searches for records that contain all of the search terms entered.
Match Any Searches for records containing one or more of the search terms entered.
Membership A consolidating device that connects what customers purchase with any benefits that they might receive.
Membership Level If in use, is assigned to a customer based on the number of points collected by making donations to appeals that generate points.
Membership Version Versions specify the levels of memberships. It is also information which provides you with the means of changing the details for a membership, while maintaining a complete record of all previous versions.
Message Editor/Builder Used to build email messages that will be sent to customers.
Meta-Tags Keywords used by search engines to help narrow down the search for results amongst the billions of articls and websites online.
Miscellaneous Items Such things as merchandise, memberships, passes or general items, which are created and maintained similar to service charges.
Movement Report Provides information pertaining to paid and unpaid admissions within a particular time-frame.
My AudienceView A module on the AudienceView Desktop used by the end-user. Functions include creating, reviewing and assigning notes (not attached to orders/customer accounts) and changing of passwords. The user can also access available Business Intelligence reports.
Net Price Base ticket price excluding all applicable tax. Found on reports.
Non-contiguous Refers to items that are not adjacent (i.e. not next to each other).
Note A piece of text, attached to a customer record and/or order; contains information that other users may require or find useful.
On/Off Calendar The date which a user is able to see a performance listed in the customer services performance search screen or online. It is set by user role and can be defined at the series or performance level.
On/Off Sales The date which a user is able to sell tickets for a performance. It is set by user role and can be defined at the series or performance level.
Online Sales The AudienceView Internet (Web) ticket sales system.
Open An admission that is available for sale to anyone. It is not on an order, no on an offer and is not on hold.
Order A collection of chargeable items (tickets and/or gift certificates), payment records, customer information, and delivery details, grouped under a single transaction number (order number).
Order Type Defined as either standard or renew. Used to classify orders as standard or renewal orders. The bundle sales report uses the order type field as a report out put option.
Override See System Override.
Paid An item that is on an order that a payment has been made against.
Even if one cent has been paid, it is considered partially paid and would appear in a paid count. Comps can appear in paid counts.
Password A secret series of letters and/or numbers that confirms a user’s identity to the application.
Payment The application of funds toward paying off the outstanding balance on an order.
Payment Method Form of payment (e.g. cash, credit card, debit card).
Payment Plan Set of scheduled payments set up by a system user. Found in an order.
Payment Processor Also known as the Payment Gateway. This is the program used by your organization to process credit and/or debit payments.
Payment Receipt The customer's copy of the transaction receipt (term is interchangeable with Signature Card).
Payment Terminal The electronic route used to submit payments to your payment processor.
PDF Portable Document Format.
A common file type that anyone can read and print with Adobe Acrobat Reader after downloading free software from www.adobe.com.
Performance A single event (e.g. game, musical, gala).
A collection of admission inventory. May or may not have a date and time.
Performance Request Used to record a customer’s request for seats at a particular performance, should they become available in the future.
Performance Type Applied to performances in a series that have the same basic characteristics (e.g. evening, matinee); allows different performances to automatically apply admission pricing based on their performance type.
Permissions Security privileges given to a user.
Persistable A option that defines that the field entry must be saved to the database. For customer/order information that you do not want saved, such as credit card information, this option should not be used.
Pin Pad The device that customers use to enter their bank account information for debit card payments. Also used to swipe debit and credit cards.
Pledge Date The date for which a donation is made or promised. It is a required field for all donations. It is used to determine the start date of a membership and a key field for reporting.
PNG An image file type (bitmap).
Points Part of a membership plan; Points based on dollars contributed or purchased at a membership level.
Price Chart This provides a means for you to define a pricing schema to be used against price zones and performances.
Price Type A price point that can categorize the possible price values or specific consumers (e.g. donors, artists, 20% discount, subscribers/season ticket holder, regular, student, senior). Admission prices are applied based on price type.
Price Zone A set of admissions within a venue that are all priced at the same level (e.g. orchestra, balcony, lower bowl).
They typically align with a physical location in the venue.
Primitives It is not recommended that primitives are modified during configuration.
Privileges Security access to a particular window or function within AudienceView.
Producer The person/group/venue that is putting on an event.
Program The highest level component of a fundraising effort. Used to track incoming gifts. See also Campaign and Appeal.
Progress Bar Small section of the screen that displays increasing number or size of a coloured display to indicate the progress of a task the application is performing.
Promotion Code A keyword that is entered by the user to make available a particular price type associated to that particular keyword. The price type is only available to the user if the associated keyword is entered.
Publish Name An automatically generated field that combines title first Name and Last Name. Found on the customer advanced page. Typically used for donor recognition lists like an inhouse program.
Quick Sale A method of selling a ticket to a customer quickly, designed for situations where tickets to the same performance are being sold repeatedly. Uses the Best Available algorithm to select seats.
Record State Can be either Active or Suspended.
Referrer Contact The contact that is attached to a donation, as having referred to donor to the organization or to the appeal. Can be set up to receive a thank you letter for the referral.
Refund The paying back to a customer of funds previously collected.
Release Reason A reason entered by the user to describe why admissions are being released from an order.
Registry Section of the application where variables can be set. (e.g. buttons, field labels, alert statements, required fields, pop-up messages, default values, time-outs, payment processing gateways, printer ports and data input limitations).
Report A pre-configured query run on the AudienceView database.
Request See Bundle Request and Performance Request.
Reserved Seating Everyone is assigned a designated seat where they are expected to sit.
Also referred to as assigned seating.
Research & Affiliations Extended attributes that can be defined for each contact on a customer record. Found on the Customer advanced page.
Role Type of job being performed by a user (e.g. Box Office, Phone Sales).
Scheduled Payment A payment which is scheduled to occur at least one day in the future. Must be a credit card payment.
Scheduled Payments Processor An AudienceView utility which processes all scheduled payments that meet the criteria specified by the user.
Screen An overlay of a portion of the venue map used to hold a virtual representation of seats. When users view a venue map, seats are displayed based on the selected screen. Users can then easily view and pick seats from the venue map.
Season A period during which a particular activity (e.g. sports, performing arts) is carried out - defined by the producer.
Seat Virtual representation of a seat in the venue.
Seat Map See Map Sale.
Secret key A secret piece of information which is shared by two parties and used when securely exchanging information. To be effective, the secret key is smaller than the information being shared. It is used in conjunction with a cryptographic algorithm to encrypt and decrypt sensitive data.
Select Using the TAB and ENTER keys or mouse to click on a button, field or icon.
Series A group of performances that share the same venue and other common traits (e.g. all of the performances for a particular play or all the home games in a season).
Signature Card Similar to the payment receipt, but the customer must sign it for credit card transactions (term is interchangeable with Payment Receipt).
Sold An item that is on order, whether or not the order is paid.
Solicitor Fundraising staff member assigned to solicit for a charitable organization.
Stored Value Item
  • Gift Cards: Purchasable and reloadable
  • Gift Certificates: Purchasable but not reloadable
  • Accounts: Purchasable and reloadable, but the customer generally does not receive anything physical
Subsystem A segment of the AudienceView application where particular aspects of its functioning occur (e.g. customer, gift certificate).
SVG Images Scalable Vector Graphics.
A vector graphics format. SVG is written in the XML formatting language provides the ability to draw simple or complex shapes on the screen with straightforward code. SVG is much smaller than an equivalent GIF or JPG file, so it downloads much faster.
System Override Any user can be temporarily granted or override the permissions of another user using the System Override option. This function is generally used to grant more senior privileges to allow a ticket seller (for example) to perform a specific action under unusual or infrequent circumstances. The System Override function automatically times out (ends) after the time period specified for the overriding user.
Threshold A limit placed on a component, such as number of admissions allowed per performance.
Ticket Marking A method for indicating that a ticket has been used to admit a customer to a performance. Used for reporting/Business Intelligence purposes.
Ticket Template The design structure for a ticket- every ticket must be assigned to a template which determines whether the ticket may represent either an admission, gift certificate/card, receipt, address or any other type of item.
Unallocated Payments that have been received but have left a balance or have overpaid an order.
Venue A physical or virtual location where an event is held (e.g. an arena, theatre). One or more events and the associated admissions are designated to a venue.
Widget A widget is a graphical interface component (e.g. button, calendar, search icon) that you click to open a window or a text box. This window or text box provides an interface for user specifically entered information (e.g. customer searches, date ranges, performance ranges).
Zone An area on either side of the gate venue and is used along with sections to determine a ticket holder’s access in and out of a gate.